Fishtail Cottage Garden 4/14/15

This week in the garden the peony trees beginning to bloom, but unfortunately the rain has also showed itself here in Seattle, so they’ve weighed them down a bit.  Every time I go outside to take a photo, I think that I just need to try again later…but its raining again (actually hailing) ~ so this is the best I’m going to get for now because I want to share this weeks garden post!

I have a few other peony trees but they are not in bloom yet.  But his one, I am so excited to share with you - I first saw this Itoh Peony “Kieko” at the Seattle Home and Garden Show.  I immediately put it on my wish list and when I finally found it, they only had one available, I hope to add another to the garden at a later date.  Isn’t this bloom breathtaking?

It’s an Itoh peony with large, semi-double to double flowers that measure up to six inches across, the foliage is dark green. Apparently as the flower matures, the dark lavender pink petals slowly fade to a soft pink, revealing a cluster of yellow stamens in its center. I just love the antiqued pink it displays.  The tag says it’s flower is lightly fragrant (most likely in the sunshine). It prefers full sun to dappled shade.
Also this week, I’ve started slowly to fill my patio planters, I have just a few that I’ve prepared for summertime.  Decided that I will take my time in doing so and enjoy it as I go.  Plus the longer I wait, the more options I will have when I visit the nursery! I shared with you a few weeks ago that I found a couple Fairy Blush Camellia that I’ve been nursing back from a harsh exposure to winter. Since that post, I have added pink marshmallow fuchsias and white alyssum to the base of that plant. If you missed that post and want to revisit – click here.  still hoping that I can help these plants recover ~ but they haven’t progressed very well.  I will share more photo’s of that planter when it looks pretty enough to share.
On the back patio, I decided on these darling purple Aubretia flowers and white alyssum surrounding the base of lavender topiaries. 

 

In the pot just below the one I shared above, I have planted a light pink geranium, heuchra, white allysum and a rescued rose.  In time these should fill in nicely for summer!
My favorite so far is the simply potted galvanized pot with a geranium, white bacopa and white allysum. It sits on the steps going up to the chicken coop. 

 

 

 

 

 

Planting your pots earlier in the spring will help them get established in the plantere and allow the roots to take hold and mature so that they trail alongside the containers by the time bbq season arrives.

 

We had our first rose open up a couple days ago, this one is growing on the archway heading into where the chicken coop is.  It’s one of my favorite in the landscape.  Blush Noisette…so incredibly fragrant and easy to grow!

Another favorite flower in the garden is the darling little English Bluebell Flowers!  I have a few that have already appeared, but an explosion of them all over the garden is about to happen.  Every year when they are done blooming, I divide them and place them any place I can find a space that they do not appear.  I love lining each and every walkway with these little beauties! 

And this picture is just too cool not to share, my hostas are still upright and have not fallen open, but this photo just looks so cool to me as I look over the top of them watching their progress!

Thanks for popping over and would love for you to say hello!  If you are not already following me, I’d love for you to do so.  I am located in the Pacific Northwest close to the city of Seattle.  So if you love knowing what is coming up locally in the gardens – I’m your girl! xoox, tracie